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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24148906">Fall in Love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuraikya/pseuds/Kuraikya'>Kuraikya</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Expeditions: Viking (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:08:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,588</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24148906</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuraikya/pseuds/Kuraikya</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>asleifr grimvardarson - Relationship, asleifr x female thegn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fall in Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Unload that over there!" she shouted, pointing with a gesture of her hand in the direction where the blacksmith was. "And when you come back, I want a stockpile." It was busy at the harbour, but still the helpers answered with a "Yes, my Thegn!" A little exhausted, she wiped the sweat from her forehead as a man with folded arms stood beside her. "You're really doing a good job." She smiled and rubbed her forehead again. "Praise from you? What did I do differently last night?" He shook his head with a slight smile. "I was just trying to be nice," he playfully pushed her against her shoulder.  "Hey you two, when you're finally done," Ketill interrupted her, "I'd like to get off the ship." The two immediately took a few steps aside and let the heavily loaded Ketill pass. "I'll just take this to the longhouse," he shouted over his shoulder and then go to Sig, Jora." She waved after him. "Yes, all right. I'll be right behind you. You can tell my mother. Ketill said no more and walked on calmly. They both looked at him. "I don't like him," said Asleifr. Jora rolled her eyes. "I know." He looked into her eyes now. "It's not just because he's always making jokes..." he growled. Jora looked around to see if they were alone. After she was sure, she stepped closer to the blond warrior. "You know," she purred, "it's almost a pity we're back home... I won't have you for myself." She seemed to have the wanted effect on him, because he came closer to her, too. "Really?" he teased her. "Yes, too bad nobody knows about it yet." He sighed. "You know, we talked about it, and..."<br/>
"Yes," she interrupted him. "Now would be a bad time and we want to see how things develop... I know, I know," she sighed. "But I'll miss you these days anyway." She put her arms around his neck. "One last kiss? Before you go home?" He grabbed her by her waist. "Then quickly. Or else we'll be seen."<br/>
It was her first kiss that tasted like goodbye. She didn't like that taste, so it made her want another one and another one. Until there was no more reason to say goodbye. But after the second kiss, he broke away from her. "I really have to go now." She nodded, but didn't take her hands off him yet. "Be sure: I don't want to do anything else but continue, but I must go home. My father will be happy if I can help him for a few days." She nodded. "I understand." She kissed him on the cheek. "I have always admired your hard work." They walked together towards the village. "Then I'll see Thegn." She raised her eyebrow in surprise, but his gaze was distinct enough to make it clear to her that they were no longer alone. "Of course." she said instead. "I will have someone call you."<br/>
She turned around and at the moment discovered the reason why Asleifr had acted so coldly: her brother, Rurik, was standing by a house and seemed to be watching her closely. She found it hard not to turn around again. It felt somehow empty without him. "Brother!", she tried to sound as cheerful as possible. It wasn't that she didn't miss him, but it was still hard to greet him properly under these circumstances. "Sister," his greeting seemed a little too cold to her. "What no hug for your little sister?" He walked up to her and held her close. But even that felt more like an act of awkwardness.<br/>
"And..." he started talking on the way to her mother's house. "How was the journey?" She sighed. "I'm glad to be back, even if it's just for a few days." Rurik nodded, but his eyes seemed to look far away. "And what was that all about?", he asked pointedly. She raised an eyebrow inquiringly. "That thing with Grimvardarson. When did you two get so much to talk about that you go to the village together?" She sighed again. "He is my bannerman. If I do not talk to him, who will?" Her brother shrugged. "I just don't really understand any of this. He was never nice to you. Not to mention talkative. He even tried to take your tittle off... and yet he's your bannerman?"<br/>
Rurik had a point. Asleifr had hardly spoken to her for years. And if only when they were training together. But it was more Asleifr's father who was to blame. His father and many others ...<br/>
"He is one of our best warriors, and I would be a fool to ignore it. And of course I could have chose Ketill or Nefja as my bannerman, that would have been much easier. But sometimes it's important to have someone nagging at you until you have every doubt out of the way." She hoped it sounded convincing. It doesn't sound convincing to her. If she had to be honest, it was more the truth that she was attracted to him. She had so much admiration for him that it must have played a part in her decision...<br/>
They opened the doors to the longhouse and in the room stood her mother and Ketill. They seemed to be having a lively conversation, because time and time again their mother had to smile a little and Ketill had already forgotten the chests, so deeply into his stories he was immersed in how they had found a treasure in a cave. "Oh, there she is at last," yelled Ketill, "I was just telling her about how we had found this treasure in the cave and how we wanted to squeeze through this narrow gap. Haha." he laughed. "The look on your sweetie's face when I wanted to rub oil on him. He looked kind of offended," he laughed, but at the same moment, the room became dead quiet and cold.<br/>
Ketills laughter died instantly.<br/>
Jora had her mouth open, it couldn't be true? Did Ketill really...? "Pardon?", breathed her mother. Oh, no, he said it really loud. "Your sweetheart"? -Who is this, exactly?" For a brief moment she toyed with the idea of saying Gunnarr. But she pulled herself together and decided to keep quiet.<br/>
She heard her brother snorting loudly. "Oh, now it makes sense," he turned reproachfully to his sister. "That's why it took you so long. You are in love with Asleifr!" Jora looked deep into Ketil's eyes- one because she reproached him for being her best friend and for saying it out loud without thinking, and another because she saw that something in him had just been broken.</p><p>Jora was observing her mother's reflection. It was written all over her face, and one thing Jora knew for sure: in a moment, she would be turned into a child again, with her mother wanting only the best for her. What exactly this "best" was was certainly not in Jora's interest. "Asleifr?", her mother asked again. It was one of those questions that did not really need to be answered. Jora was still frozen. <br/>Slowly she nodded. <br/>"This news are really...good news", she clasped her hands in joy. "What?", both Rurik and Jora took one breath. "Yes!", her mother confirmed. "Oh, that would solve all our problems! I'll send a messenger to Grimvardar first thing tomorrow. I'm pretty sure we can come to a quick agreement!" Rurik seemed to be getting sick, because he was leaning against a table. Jora was just standing there - every color of her face was gone. "I'm sure the marriage will be good. After all, you're already in love with him, so the rest will come naturally!" Ketill went to his best friend, who still stood there like a statue. "Jora?," he asked cautiously, but she didn't seem to notice him. <br/>Rurik seemed to feel the same. He looked shocked and pale, too. "Mother, Jora can't marry him! That would be..."<br/>"Perfect," she interrupted him. "Grimvardar would have his son where he'd like him to be, and would give him peace, Jora would have a husband who would make sure her rights were challenged less and you wouldn't bother anymore!" He turned his eyes to his sister, who had balled her hands. "No," Jora said sternly. "That's not why I want to marry him." <br/>"Child, don't be ridiculous. Very few people get what they want. And in this case, it would only be the right thing! No one could ever take your power again. You'd be secure in your reign.  Our power would be safe." Her arguments made sense. Which made it all the more difficult for Jora to respond. "Are you pregnant?" Astridr asked her daughter. <br/>And then it happened: Rurik jumped up and stormed out of the room. He slammed the door shut and for a moment everyone looked at him in silence. "No," Jora replied. "And I beg you ... At least let me talk to Asleifr about this before you tell his father." Her mother shrugged.<br/>"I don't see what good it would do, but go ahead." Jora sighed and also left the room. Ketill and Astridr were left behind. "I'm so sorry, Ketill", she pressed his shoulder. "But it's really for the best." <br/>"No, it isn't," he tried to keep his voice clear. "I was always a little in love with her, but above all she was my best friend. Now I may have lost that forever..."</p>
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